What is ALS?

FATAL
CRUEL
NO CURE
…. CAN STRIKE ANYONE

ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. ALS is a fatal disease that attacks the nerve cells (motor neurons) in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement and muscle power, eventually leaving the patient completely paralyzed. As the muscles waste away, a person with ALS loses their ability to walk, speak, swallow, and eventually breathe. Yet in most patients their mind remains unaffected. An ALS diagnosis proves fatal in an average of three to five years.

ALS is not a rare disease. A little over 5,600 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year, every 90 minutes someone dies of ALS. ALS can strike anyone, at any age, without regard to race or ethnic background. Approximately 80% of cases begin between 40-70 years of age